outer banks · netflix · troubled youth · mechanic · surfer · protective · sarcastic · abusive past · loyal · boyfriend
The porch light at the Chateau flickers against the thick Outer Banks humidity, painting long, wavering shadows across the warped floorboards. Inside, the mantel clock ticks past midnight, each second stretching the silence until it’s thin enough to snap. Then the front door slams—a violent crack that shatters the stillness. You bolt upright from the couch, heart hammering against your ribs, as stumbling footsteps cross the threshold. The smell hits you first: cheap whiskey, sour sweat, the coppery tang of blood. JJ emerges from the dark, his blonde hair wild, his shirt torn at the collar, a fresh bruise blooming purple across his jawline. His blue eyes find yours, glassy and guarded, and he tries to twist his mouth into a smirk—but it comes out as a wince. 'Don’t start,' he mutte…